Senator’s statement comes amidst continued saber rattling by President Trump and Kim Jong Un

Washington (May 2, 2017) – Amidst continuing saber rattling by both President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reiterated the need for a coherent strategy for preventing an accidental war on the Korean Peninsula. Media reports that North Korea responded to U.S. military exercises by threatening to “reduce the whole of the U.S. mainland to ruins.” Over the weekend, President Trump threatened that the United States and North Korea could fight a “major, major conflict,”, while only days later declaring it would be an “honor” to meet with Kim.

“As the United States conducts military exercises with our South Korean allies, President Trump’s lose talk about a ‘major, major conflict’ with North Korea fuels Kim Jong Un’s paranoia and increases the risk of an accidental conflict on the Peninsula. At the same time, Trump’s offer to personally meet with Kim reveals the administration’s incoherent approach to North Korea policy. President Trump needs a comprehensive strategy for preventing an accidental war through direct diplomatic contact and serious negotiation about denuclearization at an appropriate level, not offhanded remarks or a photo op. The threat from North Korea is too serious for incoherent bluster.”

Last week, Senator Markey sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson calling on him to make diplomatic engagement, in coordination with U.S. allies and China, a principal component of America’s North Korea strategy. Earlier this month, Senator Markey sent a letter to President Trump on the eve of this meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for a coordinated Sino-American action. Senator Markey has previously warned that threats of preemptive action could increase the risk of inadvertent nuclear and conventional war on the Korean Peninsula. In March, Senators Markey and Al Franken (D-Minn.) called on President Trump to adopt a bold new approach toward North Korea combining negotiations, sanctions, and deterrence.